


Just One Night

by Fortune_Maiden



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Some angst, just two girls trying to stay strong in the bad future they live in..., set in the bad future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 01:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9633176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fortune_Maiden/pseuds/Fortune_Maiden
Summary: Cordelia didn’t know how good she had it never being able to talk to Chrom so openly.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emblems](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emblems/gifts).



> Happy Valentines Day!
> 
> I really hope you like this story. I love Severa and her POV is so much fun to write in. Admittedly I'm a little worried about how Lucina turned out, but I really hope this turned out okay!

She’ll never be like her mother.

Severa knows this. She makes sure others know this too, but while no one is daft enough to say anything to her face, the comparisons are still there. In the way people look at her when she looks up at the sky, as if wondering if she wishes to soar through the clouds on a Pegasus. In the way Cynthia insists on treating them like besties just because their mothers were. In the way they all keep flocking to her and treating her like some sort of ace just because she is a _little_ better at picking up new skills than most (as if it takes talent to actually train instead of prancing around making up sword names or heroic speeches).

She doesn’t miss her mother. She keeps telling herself this because she doesn’t want to miss someone who never cared about her anyway. Her mother only ever cared about Chrom. Chrom who never even noticed her, who went off and _died_ , leaving them all to grow up in this hellhole slowly losing their families one by one, leaving Lucina—

It’s not a peaceful night. Those don’t exist anymore, but this night is less chaotic than most only because she can’t hear the moans of Risen in the castle in Ylisstol anywhere except her nightmares. She can’t enjoy it either. She’s not exhausted enough for a dreamless sleep. If she closes her eyes, warped memories will drag her in, so instead she focuses her gaze on the small golden ring around her finger that belonged to the person she swears she doesn’t miss.

She can’t sleep. It’s pointless to even try, she decides and forces herself out of bed and into her armor. Grima’s forces can appear at any time at any place, and while she doesn’t really think they’ll launch a full scale attack on the castle that very night, that’s what she’ll say to anyone she runs into.

It’s not all that unusual for any of them to fall victim to insomnia and relax by patrolling the castle. They all have their secret routes, chosen specifically to avoid running into anyone else, and yet Severa doesn’t feel like following hers. Instead she wanders by everyone’s rooms and by the end, she’s accomplished nothing and still doesn’t want to go back to bed.

Her mother probably never had to deal with this. Cordelia couldn’t be so perfect unless she got a good night’s sleep every night, dreaming of Chrom and being with him. Lucky her. Severa would gladly have that over Risen. She would be much happier if she could close her eyes and picture Lucina. Lucina and her beautiful hair and perfect skin. She never pays attention to these things, no matter how much Severa insists an Exalt should, but fortunately she has more than enough natural beauty to look elegant, albeit always with a stern sorrowful expression. Lucina rarely smiles anymore. Granted, there isn’t much to be happy these days, but even in quieter moments when the idiots could find time to crack jokes and fool around, and the others could celebrate their training accomplishments, Lucina is always in work mode, her expression severe and focused.

Lucina loves them all. Whatever worries keep Severa up at night are nothing compared to Lucina’s. She has her people to think about and too much responsibility to shoulder, responsibility she wouldn’t think of sharing with the rest of them if they didn’t insist on it. Lucina is like Chrom (the rose-tinted version Cordelia had anyway). Dutiful, charismatic, beautiful…

She isn’t like her mother and will never be, but sometimes Severa can understand Cordelia’s pining a little too well.

It isn’t intended, but somehow Severa’s patrol takes her straight to Lucina’s room. The doors are closed, but Severa knows they are always unlocked and she rests her hand on the cool handle. She won’t open it. She’s not some pathetic sniveling whelp who’d run crying into someone else’s room because of a few nightmares. But the clashes of steel and the sharp metallic scent of blood still torment her mind, so perhaps it’s alright to just quickly peek inside.

The door creaks as it opens, almost making Severa panic. Lucina’s a light sleeper. She would definitely hear that. But if she ran now, then Lucina would follow, unable to just ignore this intrusion. So Severa pushes the door a little farther, and peeks inside.

In the next moment, all stealth is forgotten and she slams it open instead.

Lucina is gone.

* * *

There’s no reason for Severa to worry. This is freaking Ylisstol, the safest place in the world (for a given value of safe anyway). And Lucina’s the toughest fighter she knows. She would never go down that easily. And Lucina’s too mature and responsible to just abandon them and run off somewhere by herself. There’s no reason to think that come morning Lucina wouldn’t be there greet them at the training hall.

Severa knows all of this but she runs through the whole castle anyway, because she wants to see Lucina alive and unharmed right _now_!

She finally spots her from the window overlooking the gardens. It’s dark and she can only make out shadows, but Severa knows it’s her because she’s spent so much time watching her back that it’s all too easy to make out the way her long hair falls on her back, and the way her cape swishes when she walks.

She’s out of breath by the time she finally catches up to Lucina and doesn’t think to recompose herself before calling out. So instead of checking on Lucina as she’d intended, Lucina turns to find herself face to face with Severa’s sweating flushed figure.

…That could have gone better really.

“Severa!” Lucina’s alarm is immediately apparent as she rushes to her side. “Are you alright? What happened?”

“What happened?” The venomous words spill out before Severa can even form her thoughts. “What do you think you’re doing disappearing like that? I had to run all over the castle because of you!”

“I’m…sorry?” Lucina frowns in confusion, but her worry doesn’t dissipate. “What happened? Is it Risen?”

“Nothing happened,” Severa snaps. “Everything is as it should be, everyone is off in dreamland in their beds, except for a certain someone who thought it was a good idea to take a midnight stroll.”

“So everything’s alright,” Lucina lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods. You scared me.” Severa mentally kicks herself. What did she think would be Lucina’s first reaction to seeing her all gross and out of breath like that? “I don’t understand why you’re so angry with me though.”

“I’m not angry!” Severa yells. “I’m just…I passed by your room, and you weren’t there so…i-it’s not like I was looking for you or anything! It’s just so irresponsible of you to disappear like that! What if something _did_ happen, huh?” Again she cringes internally. She’s never been one to censor her tongue, and with anyone else she wouldn’t think twice about running her mouth. But Lucina _listens_ to her, takes her words seriously and her shoulders slump in response.

“You’re right, I’m sorry.”

_N-no! You’re not supposed to apologize! If something did happen, there is a warning system_ , Severa wants to say, but somehow she feels awkward now. Because Lucina continues.

“I suppose I don’t really know what came over me. But more importantly, why are you up so late?”

_More importantly? No, think about yourself for once!_ Lucina is the type to show concern for anyone, so her attitude towards Severa is nothing special. And yet Severa can’t help the small joy she feels in receiving this concern.

Even though it is still crushed by the guilt of troubling her dear friend over nothing.

“No reason,” she mutters. “The usual, I guess. You too?”

“The usual…” the words sound awkward on Lucina’s lips. “Yes, I suppose sometimes I get restless at night. It’s…quiet.”

“Too quiet!” Severa agrees. “I mean I’m not complaining, but I sometimes feel like those blasted Risen are going to rise up on this very night and crush us a—sorry.” That was negative, even for her. Yet a small bitter smile seems to creep onto Lucina’s face.

“No you’re right. I feel the same way. It’s so hard to believe peaceful nights like this can even…” She trails off and for a moment it looks like she’s shaking.

“We should go inside,” Lucina suddenly says firmly. “Tomorrow may bring another battle. We need to be well rested for it.”

They’re the words of a leader. A dutiful princess to a subordinate. They’re not what Lucina, the girl behind the mask, truly feels, and they both know it. But Severa knows Lucina will never reveal her true feelings to her.

Lucina walks several paces in front of her, though the distance feels greater.

_Say something you coward,_ Severa hisses to herself.

“Hey Lucina.” At her call, Lucina stops, but she doesn’t turn around.

“You…you don’t have to act tough you know,” Severa isn’t really sure what she’s saying but the words just tumble out anyway. “That whole “we must be prepared and vigilant” stuff? Okay, yeah, that goes without saying, but you don’t have to act all tough and cool for us all the time.”

“I’m not acting, Severa.”

“Oh please!” She’s getting bratty again. “You wanted some private time just now didn’t you? So you could think and wallow in self-pity a bit.”

“I didn—would that be so wrong?”

“O-of course not!” Lucina is looking at her now so Severa averts her gaze. “I’m just saying you don’t have to act all tough—no what I’m saying is I’m sorry and—gah what _am_ I even saying?” She’s probably as red as her mother’s hair by now, and the darkness of the halls is only a small comfort. It takes her a few deep breaths before a coherent enough thought forms. “I’m saying that…you can talk to m— _us_. I—we—all of us that is—are always happy to listen. You don’t need to silently suffer by yourself…is what I want to say.”

That speech is complete cheese to her ears. It sounds like something Cynthia would say, only worse and not even remotely heartfelt, and Severa hates herself for it. Cordelia didn’t know how good she had it never being able to talk to Chrom so openly. At least _she_ couldn’t completely humiliate herself in front of her liege like this! And this was not even what Lucina wanted to hear anyway. She wasn’t stupid. Obviously she knew all of this already and probably opened up to one of the others in private anyway. Someone who wasn’t Severa and could actually be nice and compassionate and outwardly show they care without saying exactly the worst thing at the worst possible time.

“I’ll…um…see myself to my room now,” Severa mutters, and means to slip past Lucina, but the moment she passes by, there is a tug on her sleeve. “Lucina?”

Lucina’s eyes are downcast, but her voice is still steady.

“You would say all that and then leave? That’s it?” Were it anyone else, Severa would jump on them for getting smart with her, but for once she catches herself. Lucina is not that type.

“Of course I’ll listen,” she says. “But, you know, I’m kinda the rude abrasive type…I’ll just say all the wrong things…” In her heart she feels a pang of guilt for wanting Lucina to unload onto her right then and there. But Severa isn’t someone to seek comfort from. She doesn’t trust herself not to make the usual snide comments.

“You are,” Lucina agrees almost immediately. “But you’re also so honest and dependable. Your words are sharper than any sword, but you say exactly what needs to be heard every now and then.” She sighs. “Would you mind staying with me for a bit? Just for tonight?”

Severa is speechless. She can only nod and walk beside Lucina, who maintains her grip on Severa’s sleeve, all the way up to her room.

Lucina’s bed is large and soft. There is more than enough room for both of them, a fact Severa is awkwardly pleased to discover when Lucina offers half the bed to her.

_You’re both girls and warriors. Stop being an idiot_ , Severa snaps at herself. The sight of Lucina in her small clothes is nothing new for her, neither is the reverse. The luxury of a bed to sleep in is rare when they’re often on the move fighting Risen and trying to hold onto hope in their hopeless world.

But this is Lucina’s room and Lucina’s _bed_ and Severa shouldn’t be happy about this. She is here at her liege’s request to support and listen to her. She shouldn’t be happy about the two of them lying beside each other with Lucina’s head on her shoulder and strands of her hair tickling Severa’s neck.

“When Father was still alive,” Lucina says, “I would sneak into his bed when I was scared. We didn’t really talk or anything, but it was comforting to have someone close.”

“I guess.” Severa doesn’t have any memories like this. All she remembers is trying to distance herself from her perfect mother.

“What you said before, that goes for you too.”

“Huh?”

“I needed to hear those words, Severa, so thank you. But you’re like that too. You push people away and act like you don’t care so no one can see you're hurting either.”

“I don’t…not really.” At least not consciously, she thinks.

“At first, I was convinced, you know. I was impressed with how you are always so calm and focused on what needs to be done. How there’s no hesitation in your blade. In your movements. Your convictions.” Severa feels her ears heating up. That doesn’t sound even remotely like her.

“I feel like that’s how I should be as well. We need to be the ones to fix this world with the Awakening. I need to become more like you, unafraid—

“Lucina stop!” Severa can’t listen anymore. Not about this fantasy version of herself that never existed. “I not like that at all! I’m rude and annoying and I just act like I don’t care because someone has to—

“Yes, so—

“And that someone will be me,” Severa cuts her off. “You’re always looking out for everyone. I…don’t want to be someone who adds to your worries. I don’t want you to push us away.” _To push_ me _away,_ though even thinking that feels odd when they’re sharing the same bed.

To her surprise Lucina starts laughing. A true genuine laugh, that Severa hasn’t heard in so long and that she doubts she’ll ever hear again. It’s a pure happy sound that if she were a total sap, she’d say she was fighting to protect.

(But she isn’t a total sap. And why fight for _laughter_ when she can fight for Lucina?)

“Look at us,” Lucina says. “We’re so close right now, yet we both try to push the other way. Severa, I am so grateful for you. I feel like I can keep fighting because I have someone like you by my side. You’re my _dearest_ friend.” Maybe Severa imagines it, but it’s as if there’s something hidden behind those words. Maybe…no, it’s silly, impossible and she dares not shatter this moment by asking.

“You’re my dearest friend too,” Severa mutters, twirling a strand of her light brown hair coyly. It’s not fair. In a normal, happier world, things would be different. Lucina would be the princess and Severa would be just another member of her guard. They’d live in separate worlds, just like their parents, and would never be able to share moments like this. It’s not fair that Severa actually _likes_ her lot in life if it means she can stay by Lucina’s side, as in right beside her in the same bed, like this.

Lucina is completely relaxed around her, probably more relaxed than she’s felt in years. She lays close, and Severa can slowly feel her own tension drifting away, replaced with the fatigue she’s been able to ignore before.

When she’s absolutely sure Lucina is asleep, before her own body finally succumbs to exhaustion to exhaustion, a faint whisper finally leaves her lips.

“I love you.”

Severa knows she’ll never be like her mother. But in this she’s finally surpassed her.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it!


End file.
